Grade-crossing alarm



JOEE H. VTPJIGHT AND BRUCE H. GROVE, 0E 33" TENTH TO ARTHUR MILLER, OFSAC??? ON, CALIFGRNIA, ASSIGNOBS OF ONE- .NTC, CALIFORNIA, AND(ENE-TENTH TO ASAPI-Z WILDER, GE BYE-ON, OALTFOEETQ.

GRADE-EROS Original application filed April 18, 1922, Serial N'o.$4,551.

Serial No.

To all'whom it may concern Be it known that we, JOHN H. VVRIGHT andBnuou H. Gnovn, citizens of the United States, residing at Byron, in thecounty of Contra Costa and State of California, have invented new anduseful Improvements in Grade-Crossing Alarms, of which the following isa specification.

This invention relates to a grade crossing alarm of the type where abell or light is caused to operate upon the approach of a train fromeither direction.

The principal object of this invention is to provide means whereby avisible or audible signal may be displayed upon the approach of a train,without upsetting the usual signalling systems, such as the blocksignals now employed on many railroads or a system as described in ourco-pending application Serial Number 554,651, filed April 18, 1.922, ofwhich this is a divisional case.

Another object is toprovide a signal which is extremely simple, cheap toinstall and one which will be automatic in operation.

A still further object is to provide means for maintaining the normalblock signal system in operation, while the crossing signal is alsobeing operated.

Other objects and advantages will be apparent during the course of thefollowing description.

In the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification, andin which like numerals are employed to designate like parts throughoutthe same,

In the drawing the view diagrammatically illustrates our invention.

Applicants are aware of the fact that many crossing signals are employedupon railroads, which crossing signals, however, require an expensiveinstallation, while our installation is extremely simple and thereforecheap.

In the accompanying drawings wherein for the purpose of illustration isshown a preferred embodiment of our invention, the numeral 5 refers to acontinuous railroad rail, while the numerals 6, 7 and 8 refer to railsections, parallel spaced from the rail These rail sections areinsulated by insulating pieces 9 and 11.

A battery 12 has one side electrically con- A L A 1? Divided and. thisapplication. filed October nected as shown at 13 to the rail 5 and has vits opposite side electrically connected as shown at 1-41 to the railsection 7. At 16 is located a relay magnet which is also electricallyconnected to the points 13 and 1 4. This magnet is adapted to normallyhold the armature 17 out of contact with the contact 18. This contact 18is electrically connected to a bulb 19 which is in series with a bell21, the opposite side of which bell is connected to a battery 22.

This battery is, in turn, electrically connected to the armature 17 atthe point 23. A similar electro-magnet 24 is connected in parallel withthe magnet 16 and serves to normally holdthe armature 26 out of con tactwith the contact 27. This armature 26 is electrically connected, as at28, to a wire which is, in turn, connected to the rail 5.

As shown at 30, the contact 27 is electrically connected to a wire 31,the opposite ends of which wire are connected to the rail sections 6 and8 and thereby bridge the rail section 7.

The operation of our device is as follows Assuming that a train isapproaching the grade crossing, the same, after passing the insulatedportion 11, will short circuit the battery 12 thereby causing theelectro-mag nets 16 and 2 1 to allow their respective armatures 17 and23 to contact the contacts 18 and 27. When the armature 17 and thecontact 18 have contacted current will flow from the battery 22 throughthe light 19 and the bell 21, thus giving a visible and audible signalat the grade crossing. At the same time the release of the armature 28will allow the same to contact the contact 27, thus establishing acircuit between the rail 5 and section 6, thus holding the block signalin the block ahead, which would otherwise be lost if no connection weremade between the section 6 and rail 5.

It is of course understood that the rail section 7 is of considerablelength on either side of the grade crossing. The section 7 of the trackmight be termed a neutral sec tion as it has no function relative to thesignalling apparatus.

It is to be understood that the form of our invention herewith shown anddescribed is to be taken as a preferred example of the same and thatvarious changes in the shape, size and arrangement of parts may beresorted to Without departing from the spirit of the invention or thescope of the subjoined claim.

Having thus described our invention, We claim In a device of thecharacter described the combination with a continuous rail, a sectionalrail parallel With said continuous rail, the sections of said sectionalrail being insulated one from the other, an electro-magnet electricallyconnected to said continu ous rail and one of the sections of saidsectional rail, a battery connected to said continuous rail and one ofthe sections of said continuous rail, a second electro-magnet connectedin parallel to said first mentioned magnet, armatures pivoted adjacenteach of said magnets, a bell and bulb connected in series, a contactconnected to one side of said afliX our signatures.

JOHN, H. WRIGHT. BRUCE H. GROVE.

